Days of Light and Joy, Purim – Shushan Purim: 'B'tzeil HaKodesh' with the Satmar Rebbe shlit"a

The Night of Purim

On Monday, Taanis Esther, in the afternoon at around 6:15, the Rebbe entered the Beis Medrash HaGadol for Mincha. Baal tefillah: HaGaon R' Yechezkel Gelbstein shlit"a; Hotzaah and Hachnasah: R' Chaim Elimelech Yakov; Kohen: R' Avrohom Simcha Friedman; Levi: R' Yehoshua Wertzberger; Shlishi – Maftir: the Rebbe shlit"a; Hagbah: HaGaon R' Dovid Perl shlit"a; Gelilah: R' Aharon Binder (of the Williamsburg community).

At around 6:55 they began davening Maariv. Baal tefillah: R' Akiva Weinstock.

After Maariv, at around 7:10, the Rebbe shlit"a went up to the bimah wrapped in a borrowed tallis, brought by R' Chaim Yedidya Fischer. The Megillah was spread out like a letter, as is customary. The Rebbe recited the Leshem Yichud, recited the brachos with holy fire, and read the Megillah with great arousal and fiery enthusiasm. They finished at 8:15. They recited "Harav es Riveinu," "Asher Heini," "Shoshanas Yaakov," "V'atah Kadosh," and Aleinu, and the Rebbe went home to his holy residence.

At around 11:15 the Rebbe shlit"a entered the holy tish in the Heichal HaShulchanos. The Rebbe danced in place and washed for the seudah in honor of the day. During the seudah, many joyous melodies were sung and they danced with joy and gladness in honor of Purim.

For "Asher Heini" the Rebbe honored HaGaon R' Yitzchak Shalom Friedman shlit"a, a moreh tzedek in our kehilla; "Shoshanas Yaakov": R' Shaul Leib Zaldan.

The Rebbe shlit"a said a Torah thought on the verse "V'Vashti kedas b'ones" and explained it in the manner of a derush regarding the themes of Purim: that by doing a mitzvah in public one does receive reward in this world, and therefore "ones" is "gemar u'makni" and there is no protest.

They continued with lively melodies, and the Rebbe expressed with holy emotion that we must offer praise and thanks to Hashem for the kindnesses He has done. Yesterday we fell, and with Hashem's kindness we got away with only a scratch. We must thank and praise that it did not end worse. They then continued with melodies of thanksgiving.

The Purim Rosh Av Beis Din, Rabbi Naftali Moshe Weiss shlit"a, went up on the table to say words of humor, and at the end he recited rhymes about guarding the eyes in honor of the "Legion of the King" group, in which over two and a half thousand talmidim of our holy yeshivos signed a pledge not to touch impure devices, as a mishloach manos for the Rebbe shlit"a. Afterwards the Rebbe distributed holy coins to the gabbaim to distribute to all the bochurim.

Birkas Hamazon: the Purim Rosh Av Beis Din, Rabbi Naftali Moshe Weiss shlit"a. They finished at around 1:15.

Tuesday, Ki Sisa, Purim Day

The Rebbe shlit"a entered the Beis Medrash HaGadol for Shacharis at around 10:10. Before davening, the Rebbe put tefillin on the bar mitzvah bochurim:
the bochur Kalman Wolf Herskovits.
the bochur Yaakov Bri"m Friedman.

Baal tefillah: R' Akiva Weinstock; Hotzaah and Hachnasah: R' Moshe Yehuda Mendlowitz; Kohen: Rabbi Amram Cohen shlit"a; Levi: R' Yehoshua Wertzberger; Shlishi: the Rebbe shlit"a; Hagbah: Rabbi Mendel Gold shlit"a, Av Beis Din of Lublin; Gelilah: Rabbi Avrohom Dovid Wagschal shlit"a (Monsey).

After the Torah reading, the Rebbe shlit"a went into his private room and put on Rabbeinu Tam tefillin, and then went up to the bimah. He recited the Leshem Yichud and fulfilled the custom of machatzis hashekel for himself and for the Rebbetzin tichye. Then, at around 11:10, he recited the Leshem Yichud and the brachos of the Megillah reading and read with enthusiasm and holy fire. They finished at around 12:15.

On the way out of the beis medrash after davening, at around 12:30, the Rebbe shlit"a gave matanos l'evyonim to R' Berel Falkowitz, director of Tomchei Shabbos.
In his holy residence, the Rebbe shlit"a fulfilled the mitzvos of the day, mishloach manos and matanos l'evyonim, and as is customary tasted hamantaschen, kindel, and nant, and washed for the first seudah.

In the afternoon, from 3:00, the Rebbe shlit"a began receiving the public to bless and be blessed on Purim day.

At around 3:15 a bris took place in his holy residence for the newborn son of R' Yoel Nosson Mittelman (of the Williamsburg community), where the Rebbe served as sandek.

The Rebbe then continued receiving the public, as long lines wound along of members of the community, elders together with youths, and groups of bochurim, and the Rebbe shlit"a greeted and blessed each one with a holy blessing.
Among others, the dayanim of the Belz kehilla of New York entered with mishloach manos on behalf of the Belzer Rebbe shlit"a.
At about 5:30 the Rebbe davened Mincha in his holy residence. Baal tefillah: R' Yoel Weinberger.

After Mincha the Rebbe shlit"a walked over to the Beis Medrash HaGadol and at 6:05 entered the Purim wine feast. Upon entering, the Rebbe danced in place and then washed for the seudah of the day. After eating a kezayis, the Rebbe recited the Leshem Yichud to fulfill the mitzvah of drinking on Purim, drank the first cup of wine and said lechayim. After the fish, the Rebbe again recited the Leshem Yichud, drank the second cup and said lechayim.

During the soup the Rebbe shlit"a sang "Kevodo Malei Olam" with outpouring of the soul and with great weeping.

With the soup, kreplach were served as is customary, and after the soup the Rebbe shlit"a drank a third cup and said lechayim, and began to sing "Elokah Dili" with awesome weeping.

The Rebbe shlit"a delivered eight divrei kodesh, and between one dvar Torah and the next and throughout the entire tish the singers sang many melodies of joy, deveikus, and arousal.

The first Torah thought was on the verse "Tinaten li nafshi bish'eilasi," and he explained in the manner of a derush that since "the whole earth is full of His glory," a get does not take effect upon Jewish children, and, so to speak, He is obligated with all the obligations of a husband to a wife. He added that one who has no match is "half a body" and falls under the obligation of healing her.
The second Torah thought was on the verse "Tinaten li nafshi bish'eilasi," and he explained that to be able to bring about salvation for Jewish children and a downfall for the enemies of Israel is through public teshuvah, which is just like teshuvah me'ahavah and brings salvations for Jews wherever they are. In a choked voice with tears he mentioned the decrees against chinuch upon Klal Yisroel, and wished that the enemies of Israel should have a downfall like Haman in his time.
The third Torah thought was on the piyut "Shoshanas Yaakov tzahalah v'sameichah," and he explained that had Haman known the kavod Shamayim that would come out of it, he would not have made the decree, and in a humorous vein, in what merit he merited to know it.

The Rebbe honored the Deesh Kiryas Joel Rebbe shlit"a with a cup of wine, and then stood up to dance to "HaShir v'HaShevach."
The fourth Torah thought was on the verse "Eis tzarah hi l'Yaakov u'mimenah yivashei": Haman was a wise man in doing evil, so that Jews should intend their own enjoyment and thus the tears of Esav would not be nullified.
The fifth Torah thought was on the verse "Tinaten li nafshi bish'eilasi," and he explained that Haman's money came through theft, and therefore he had no control.

After the Torah, the Rebbe shlit"a stood up to dance, and then fulfilled the annual custom and smoked a cigar, and sang the Dzikover Tanya, and handed the cigar to R' Shlomo Klagsbrun.

The sixth Torah thought was on the connection between the Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the Yom Tov of Purim, since Rabbi Shimon holds that any amount is subject to lashes, and according to some opinions even "shelo k'darko" is liable, and therefore the Jews were not permitted to benefit from the feast of Achashverosh even shelo k'darko.

A Mount Sinai kugel from R' Bentzion Klein was brought in, along with cabbage, and the Rebbe distributed shirayim to those at the head table.

The seventh Torah thought was on the piyut "Shoshanas Yaakov tzahalah v'sameichah," and he explained that since Mordechai HaTzaddik conducted himself with the attribute of chesed, they merited the miracle.

Then the Rebbe honored all those named Dovid to go up on the table to collect money for the Rebbe's fund "Avnei Chesed."

Then the Rebbe delivered words of blessing to the entire public, and stood up to dance.

For "Asher Heini" the Rebbe honored HaGaon HaTzaddik, Av Beis Din of Hunyad shlit"a; "Shoshanas Yaakov": HaGaon R' Meir Eliezer Friedman shlit"a.

Then the Purim Rosh Av Beis Din, Rabbi Naftali Moshe Weiss, sang the melody of the holy Kedushas Levi zy"a, "Ribono Shel Olam, Let Us Make an Exchange."

Birkas Hamazon: the Chadvan, HaGaon HaTzaddik, Rav of Beis Medrash Avnei Tzedek shlit"a.

After a few minutes the Rebbe entered for Maariv. Baal tefillah: Rabbi Hershel Kahn shlit"a. "Baruch Hashem L'olam" was not said. They finished at around 11:45.

▫️ Satmar Niyes 🌴▫️